18:3And this shall be the priests' due from the people, from them that offer a sacrifice, whether it be ox or sheep, that they shall give unto the priest the shoulder, and the two cheeks, and the maw. 18:4The first-fruits of thy grain, of thy newwine, and of thine oil, and the first of the fleece of thy sheep, shalt thou give him. 18:5For Jehovah thy God hath chosen him out of all thy tribes, to stand to minister in the name of Jehovah, him and his sons for ever.

18:6And if a Levite come from any of thy gates out of all Israel, where he sojourneth, and come with all the desire of his soul unto the place which Jehovah shall choose; 18:7then he shall minister in the name of Jehovah his God, as all his brethren the Levites do, who stand there before Jehovah. 18:8They shall have like portions to eat, besides that which cometh of the sale of his patrimony.

Metaphysically Interpreting Deuteronomy 18:9-14

18:9When thou art come into the land which Jehovah thy God giveth thee, thou shalt not learn to do after the abominations of those nations. 18:10There shall not be found with thee any one that maketh his son or his daughter to pass through the fire, one that useth divination, one that practiseth augury, or an enchanter, or a sorcerer, 18:11or a charmer, or a consulter with a familiar spirit, or a wizard, or a necromancer. 18:12For whosoever doeth these things is an abomination unto Jehovah: and because of these abominations Jehovah thy God doth drive them out from before thee. 18:13Thou shalt be perfect with Jehovah thy God. 18:14For these nations, that thou shalt dispossess, hearken unto them that practise augury, and unto diviners; but as for thee, Jehovah thy God hath not suffered thee so to do.

Metaphysically Interpreting Deuteronomy 18:15-22

18:15Jehovah thy God will raise up unto thee a prophet from the midst of thee, of thy brethren, like unto me; unto him ye shall hearken; 18:16according to all that thou desiredst of Jehovah thy God in Horeb in the day of the assembly, saying, Let me not hear again the voice of Jehovah my God, neither let me see this great fire any more, that I die not. 18:17And Jehovah said unto me, They have well said that which they have spoken. 18:18I will raise them up a prophet from among their brethren, like unto thee; and I will put my words in his mouth, and he shall speak unto them all that I shall command him. 18:19And it shall come to pass, that whosoever will not hearken unto my words which he shall speak in my name, I will require it of him. 18:20But the prophet, that shall speak a word presumptuously in my name, which I have not commanded him to speak, or that shall speak in the name of other gods, that same prophet shall die. 18:21And if thou say in thy heart, How shall we know the word which Jehovah hath not spoken? 18:22when a prophet speaketh in the name of Jehovah, if the thing follow not, nor come to pass, that is the thing which Jehovah hath not spoken: the prophet hath spoken it presumptuously, thou shalt not be afraid of him.

September 7, 1902: Deuteronomy 18:9-19

There is an intellectual perception or understanding of God and His Law, and there is also an absolute realization of the substance of the Spirit, and a knowledge of the Law. Moses represents the intellectual understanding, which is reflected into consciousness; Jesus Christ is the Understanding itself made flesh and dwelling in our midst, the very midst of our soul and body. When we get into a realization of the subjective consciousness, “the land which the Lord thy God giveth thee,” that which we have perceived as true of God becomes reality and substance.

But this Canaan land is a realm where both forms and the essence of forms are in evidence, and we need to remember carefully all that we have perceived under the Mosaic dispensation as true of Principle. It is wise and helpful to often go over and mentally analyze all that we have learned about the Abstract, the Formless, the Ideal, the Spirit, in order that we may be expert in dealing with the many subtle phases of thought and action in the subjective consciousness. Deuteronomy is a review of all that has been taught by Moses, and is to be kept constantly in mind as a kind of mental bridge to help the neophyte over the muddy stream of thought running quite swift in the Promised land.

The warnings given as to what to avoid in the psychic may be taken with profit literally as set forth in the text. Avoid all divination, the enchanter, the sorcerer, consulter with familiar spirits, wizard, necromancer. Yet to the metaphysician these have a specific meaning in their reference to individual experiences. We should not only suppress the curiosity which leads us to run after those who practice these so-called mysterious arts, but we should also avoid the mental tendencies in ourselves which may lead us astray in our development.

To make your “son or your daughter to pass through the fire” is to send your thoughts out against opposing forces for the mere purpose of testing their power. To use “Divination” is to try to discern the outcome of personal and temporal affairs. “Augury” is the blind following of the commands of some omen or voice which we may get in the silence. “An enchanter” is throwing a mental spell like hynotism over those we wish to influence. A “sorcerer” or “witch” is to make believe that our powers are mysterious and our personal property, our special discovery. A “consulter with familiar spirits” is the belief that the personalities we may see in the subjective are sources of wisdom and guidance in spiritual things. A “wizard” is to make profession of strange knowledge. A “necromancer” is to make people believe that we are in league with the hidden forces of nature, like magnetism, mesmerism, etc., in a manner special to us alone.

There are superstitions enough among those who live on the mere surface of things, such as the number thirteen, spilling salt, giving knives, mascots, pocket pieces, lucky days, special dreams, the prophecy of the fortune teller, etc., but when the psychic realm is entered, a new mine of delusions is opened up and the student needs special warning. “Thou shalt be perfect with the Lord thy God.” Under all conditions and circumstances declare the perfect law and the Divine Mind.

A “prophet from the midst of thee” is the realization of the Christ within as a substantial form of spiritual substance. The word of God becomes flesh and dwells within us. Instead of speaking what we hear as the voice of God in Horeb (aspiration) that voice takes up its abode in our voice and speaks through us. As Jesus said, “The words that I say unto you, I speak not as from myself but the Father abiding in me doeth his works.”